Mold-feeding attachment for braiding-machines.



Rl C. RHM. MOLD FEEDING .ATTACHIWENHF FR BRADZNG MCHIN APPLICATION FILD Mh. i0. 1913.

Patented Nov. V23, 1915.

f? r i sm i ROBERT CARL RAHM, OF WYOMISSING BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR TO TEXTILE MACHINE WORKS, OF WYOMISSING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION F PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nev. 23, i915.

Applicationl filed January 10, 1913. Serial No. 741,159.

To all Iwhom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT CARL RAHM, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at the borough of lVyomissing, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Mold-Feeding Attachments for BraidinglVIachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to braiding machines,

and consists in' an attachment adapted to automatically feed ornamentally shaped forms of wood or the like to the braiding material so as to produce mold braids such as are employed for umbrella tassels and Various other purposes..

The invention is fully described in connection with the laccompanying drawings and is lspecifically pointed out in the subjoined claims.

Figure 1 is a partial elevation showing my invention in preferred form,.as adapted to a known forni of tubular braider which of a vertically arranged feed tube 3 whichV is adjustably secured at 4 to a transverse carrier bar' supported upon standards 6 on the vtop bed plate 7 of the machine. The braiding threads 8 pass from the barriers 9 to the braiding point over the edges of the braiding cup 10, and the finished braid is drawn downward through thetube 11 by suitable take-off mechanism; which latter and other; well known portions of the ma chine it is unnecessary' to describe.

The molds employed, one form of which is shown at l5, are generally provided with an axial opening, and in the preferred construction shown I provide a wire supporting stem 1G, upon which they are conveniently strung; the lower end 17 of said wire being forked to form a collapsible tip which nor mally retains the molds thereon but permits of their being readily forced oif as hereinafter described. This mold supporting stein.

is placed in the feed tube 3, and supported thereon by a collar 18 so as to extend below,A the enlarged lower end 19 of said tube, ap#r proximately to the braiding point of the mav chine as indicated.

20, to the lower end of which are pivoted at 2l, 21, cooperating mold-feed fingers 22, 22, .which are normally pressed-together by springs 23 so as to bring their depending tips 2l`into engagement with a mold upon the depending stem when the sleeve is in lowered or partially lowered position upon the tube 3. When the sleeve is raised however these 'fingers are spread by contact with the ,lower end 19 of the tube, so as to permit freedelivery of a succeeding-mold from the tube. The sleeve movement is an ranged to automatically control the delivery of the molds from the tube 3, and also to effect their positive feed to the braiding fabric, at intervals determined by the braiding mechanism; to which latter it is operatively connected as indicated, by meansof a vertical shaft 25, the lower end of which is arranged in gear with the carrier-drive mechanisin, and the upper end of which indirectly drives asleeve-operating cam shaft 26.

The sleevev 20, which is normally raised upon the feed tube 3 'by means of a spring 27, is lowered, as required, by means of a cam 28 on said shaft 26; said cam operating upon the outer end of a lever 29 which is pivotedl intermediately, at 30, to the transverse carrier bar 5, whileits inner epd is connected by a link 31 to the sleeve. `The lposition of the pivotal connection 30 may be readily adjusted by means of slidable blocks 32, 32 on the carrier bar 5 and lever 29 respectively; and the cam 28 may also'b'e varied in shape and forni asdesired; so m to produce movements of the sleeve 20 and its inoldengaging fingers 22 as required by the particular form and-size of the molds.

In operation, a short portion of tubular fabric is first braided; the molds, conveniently strung upon a supporting stem 16, be` ing then placed in the feed tube 3, with the wire stem extending through'the4 closed ti s of the feed fingers 24C into the braid, While the molds 'are held bterty saiilsingers. As

iesl

' 60 Sliding upon-the feed tube 3 is a sleeve 15 obviously be modified im ierm and in 5f 3.1i. :feeding etteeiiment fel tiibeieithe cam 28 is rotated dwing' braiding? the feediinger sleeve isreised bythe spring 2'?, thus spreaelmg the fingers and permitzmg a lddnvvnvvard movement ei', the melde u iitil the lowest one reeehestiie braiding peint. Fur

ther incitation of the @am then lowers the eieevel the fingers closing upon seid meld and pusliixig it down inte the :forming braid until the latter has enough heid en' tee mold .10150 pull iteleng while e'vering it;

which the sleeve movements ere repeated es required by the paltieuler meids theii required spacing.

desciibed meg; n :feietioii te tile meeiiiiiea end certain. :features thereof be entirely emitted7 Witheet depe'ting from the invention es deined the claims.

1. A. feeding etteehment for 'tubular jlime-11mg maehmes comprising e centrally iixed mold feed tube, mold-'feed lingers et the exit end of said tube, and means for 2,5- penmg and closing said fingers and reeip meeting the seme et determined intervals.

2. A feeding atieeiiment .fe-r tubuier Y' breidine vi'neelunes eomiz'isfiii@ eenti'eilv e I 1 L u *.iixed mold feed cube Having en amel eupporting stem projecting tlireegii exit n end thereei', meid-'eed fingere et iile exit end loiE seid tube and means :fer eyenill'; end

closing seid fingers md eeipieeetimg the same et detemmed intervalle" braiding machines comprising e eeiiimeiig/ lixed meid i'eed-ieee e sie-eve eildeile ed sind tube and previded with sp g-preeeed Iingers pivoted therete and adapted to pm@ :Miedema ject beyond the exit end of seid tube, and

means for icecipreeeting seid sleeve.

4l. lin combination with a 'tubular braid.- ing .machine having @transverse carrier bar, a tubuier meld container carried by seid bar, meld-feed devices et the exit end of seid con teinei cempi'ieiiig e sleeve slidabie upon the laitiers mi epeieting lever for seid devices piveteiiy emiied by seid loer, and e cem dev iee im( epm-ating seid lever arrenged in with the breiding mechanism.

in cembimtiexi with e tubula braid ieg machine having e, transverse carrier bar,

vdevices et the exit end of seid tube.

A feeding attachment for tubular braiding machines eoifiprising,r e centrally ixed m0ld-carrier device provided with e iig tip, and intermittently operated d--feed devices; ee the exit end of said ceru miei? device. f

im testimeny whereof i affix my signature in pieeenee oi tive Witnesses,

eeeee'i CARL RAHM.

ifi/1 Gf. iimwm'r, D. M. STEWART. 

